More than 8,500 minors in Johnston County face food insecurity.*

Food insecurity can spike on weekends, when children cannot access school lunches. That’s why Centenary delivers a weekend’s worth of food to 70+ children at West Smithfield Elementary School every single week. We’ve done it for more than 20 years.

*Data Source: feedingamerica.org

Two children pack donations for the Backpack Buddies program in Smithfield

Donor-funded, volunteer-fueled.

Backpack Buddies has been a grassroots operation for decades. From purchasing bulk snacks to packing weekend bags to delivering batches to West Smithfield Elementary, YOU make this ministry happen.

If your nonprofit organization, corporate team, or simply your family and friends would like to volunteer with Backpack Buddies, click here to let us know. We welcome guests from all over our community to participate.

In-Kind Donations

Years of experience have taught us which items maximize the impact of our weekend food bags. When giving in-kind to Backpack Buddies, please only contribute the items pictured below or the items on our Amazon wish list. In-kind gifts can be brought to Centenary whenever the office is open.

If you have food items to donate which are not one of the below items, consider donating them to our Smithfield Area Ministries Food Closet, also located on-site at Centenary.